Foam Formation Capacity of Water-Wood Suspensions
摘要
Using thermal insulating materials like expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyurethane (PU), and mineral wool are an effective way to reduce electricity consumption. However, their use results in millions of tons of waste annually and is associated with potential health risks. Within this context, bio-based insulation materials have gained growing interest, as they can replace those plastics and store CO2. Foam forming is a process that enables the production of sustainable and lightweight fiber materials by combining water, fibers, and foaming agents. This work aims to evaluate the ability of wood dust to generate foam without the use of a foaming agent, as well as the stability of the resulting material at fresh state. To achieve this, foams were generated at mixing velocities of 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 rpm. The optimal mixing speed was then selected to produce foams with consistencies of 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25. The foam generation ability was assessed by measuring the mixture volume every 10 s, while the stability was evaluated by monitoring the decrease in foam volume at one-minute intervals. It was found that the foam volume increased with the mixing speed. Following the same tendency, higher mixing speeds led to increased foam stability. When the mixture consistency was varied, the results revealed that lower consistencies resulted in a larger foam volume. Although this study is preliminary, it shows the possibility for producing a stable foam without foaming agents.